Grommet placing tool



1967 A.J. PORTANOVA GROMMET PLACING TOOL Filed Sept. 10, 1965 INVENTOR.

ALBERT J. PORTANOVA 7 ATTORNEY United States Patent O Filed Sept. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 486,376 4 Claims. (Cl. 8l3) The present invention relates to a tool for engaging and stretching flexible materials and, more particularly, to a grommet placing tool for use in connection with automatic pin spotting bowling machine equipment.

In particular the grommet placing tool to be shown and described herein is intended for use in the installation of grommet retainers now used to hold the padding elements of ball cushions in place.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool which will aid the installation of such grommets and which will prevent the grommets from being damaged at the time of insertion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool that can be economically constructed which will facilitate the placement of such grommets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool which will speed the installation operations when grommets are being replaced in a ball cushion.

A further object of the invention is to provide alternate embodiments of the invention whereby the beneficial structures and functions of such a tool may be provided to individual intended users in a most beneficial form.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the appended description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation through a ball cushion showing various steps in the installation of retainer grommets,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation showing construction features of one embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the overall construction of an alternate embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and showing details in the construction of the pivot.

Briefly stated, the present invention provides a pair of members which are pivoted each to each so that a locking lever is free to move with respect to a drive transmission member. A lock element or ring is provided which will hold exterior surfaces of both members in close adjusted position so that elements placed between the members will be squeezed and securely held when the lock element is moved into a tightened engaged position. The drive member or element is alternatively provided with a socket adapted to be engaged by male elements of a conventional socket set or the complete tool is itself provided with a drive handle similar to that of a speed wrench so that the drive element may be rotated in such manner as to wind stems engaged between the drive and lock members about the exterior surfaces of such elements. This function is primarily provided to facilitate the installation of stemmed grommet elements which are made of rubber or similar material and which must be pulled through the ball cushion of automatic bowling machines to hold the cushions in place.

The particular features of embodiments of the invention and the manner of usage are illustrated in the accompanying figures. In FIG. 2 it will be seen that a drive member 11 is provided with a socket 12 at one end for the reception of a separate drive unit. For the purposes of illustration this socket 12 may be shaped to receive the male end of a inch or /2 inch square drive set. Accordingly, the socket is adapted to receive drive elements of a ratchet drive tool, of a speed wrench or any of the other drive components of a conventional mechanical socket set. Any drive force imparted to the 31%,899 Patented Jan. 1Q, 1967 "ice receiving socket 12 is transmitted by the drive member 111 to an outer end 13 and to a pivot 14 which passes through an angularly disposed end 15 of such drive member. Since the drive member 11 is mated to the extension end 16 of a locking lever 17 by the pivot 14 the drive forces will likewise be transmitted to the locking lever.

In the use of the device the locking lever will be moved outwardly from the drive member by rotating the lever about the pivot 14. Next, the end 18 of a grommet 19 will be inserted between the elements, and thereafter a lock piece 21 will be engaged about the exterior surface of the locking lever 17 to hold the lever in relatively close contact with the drive member 11. Because of the respective angles defined by the drive element 11 and its angularly disposed head 15, and the lever 17 and its associated angled extension 16, and because of the positioning of the pivot hole (not shown), the lock piece 21 can be used to reduce the clearance between the drive member 11 and the locking lever 17. This tightening of the engagement between the drive member 11 and the lever 17 is, of course, accomplished when the lock piece 21 is moved from its free position toward the pivot 14. This movement of the lock piece 21 along the initially divergent 0r tapered exterior surfaces of the drive member 11 and the locking lever 17 will cause the grommet end 18 to be squeezed tightly between these elements.

Once the tool N is securely engaged about the grommet end 18 rotation of the tool will cause the grommet end to be wound about the exterior surface of the drive member 11 and the lever 17. (This function is shown at the center position of FIG. 1.) As the grommet end 18 is wound about the tool, the grommet 19 itself will be pulled through the ball cushion 22 and its supporting back 23 until the head 24 of the grommet 19 is tightly engaged against the front of the cushion 22 and the locking shoulder 26 on the shank of the grommet is pulled through the opening 27 provided in the supporting back 23 to be engaged against the rear exterior surface 28 of back 23. This emplacement holds the cushion elements in their desired positions. After the grommet has been fully installed as shown at the bottom of FIG. 1, the end extension 18 can be cut off adjacent to the locking shoulder 26 as shown.

FIG. 3 illustrates a separate embodiment of the invention in which the drive member 11 is itself extended to provide a crank handle 31 and the turning support for a pivot handle 32 of overall configuration similar to that of a conventional brace or speed Wrench.

FIG. 4 illustrates the use of a bolt and nut combination to provide the pivot structure 14. A rivet could similarly be provided. Other means for pivoting the lever element 1'7 to the drive element 11 could likewise be used without departure from the teachings of the invention.

Similar modifications or substitution of elements is possible in connection with the provision of the lock piece 21 and the drive components of the tools herein described. All such modifications and changes that come within the scope of the hereunto appended claims are considered to be a part of this invention.

I claim:

1. A tool for installing grommet or rivet elements having shanks made of resilient material in positions of operative use comprising a drive unit, a pivot member disposed on said drive unit, a locking lever joined to said drive unit by said pivot member for movement toward and away from said drive unit, a lock element for holding a surface of said locking lever in near contacting side by side relationship with respect to said drive unit whereby the shank of a grommet element disposed therebetween will be resiliently deformed for secure frictional engagement, and means for rotating said drive unit whereby said grommet shank will be wrapped about said drive unit and locking lever.

2. A tool for installing grommet or rivet elements having shanks made of resilient material in positions of operative use comprising a drive unit, a pivot member disposed on said drive unit, a locking lever joined to said drive unit by said pivot member for movement toward and away from said drive unit, a lock element disposed for selective engagement with a free end of said locking lever in near contacting side by side relationship with respect to said drive unit whereby the shank of a grommet element disposed therebetween will be resiliently deformed for secure frictional engagement, and means for rotating said drive unit whereby said grommet shank will be wrapped about said drive unit and locking lever.

3. A tool for installing grommet or rivet elements having shanks made of resilient material in positions of operative use comprising a drive unit, a pivot member disposed on said drive unit, a locking lever having an end thereof joined to said drive unit by said pivot member for movement toward and away from said drive unit, a lock element disposed for selective engagement with a free end of said locking lever in near contacting side by side relationship with respect to said drive unit whereby the shank of a grommet element disposed therebetween will be resiliently deformed for secure frictional engagement, and means for rotating said drive unit whereby said grommet shank will be wrapped about said drive unit and locking lever.

4. A tool for installing grommet or rivet elements having shanks made of resilient material in positions of operative use comprising an elongated shaft type drive unit, a pivot member disposed on said drive unit, a locking lever joined to said drive unit by said pivot member for movement toward and away from said drive unit, a lock element movable longitudinally along said drive unit for holding a surface of said locking lever in adjustable near contacting side by side relationship with respect to said drive unit whereby the shank of a grommet element disposed therebetween will be resiliently deformed for secure frictional engagement, and means for rotating said drive unit whereby said grommet shank will be wrapped about said drive unit and locking lever.

' "References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1912 Lynch l40-123 1/1941 Nordeck 24251 

1. A TOOL FOR INSTALLING GROMMET OR RIVET ELEMENTS HAVING SHANKS MADE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL IN POSITIONS OF OPERATIVE USE COMPRISING A DRIVE UNIT, A PIVOT MEMBER DISPOSED ON SAID DRIVE UNIT, A LOCKING LEVER JOINED TO SAID DRIVE UNIT BY SAID PIVOT MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID DRIVE UNIT, A LOCK ELEMENT FOR HOLDING A SURFACE OF SAID LOCKING LEVER IN NEAR CONTACTING SIDE BY SIDE RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE UNIT WHEREBY THE SHANK OF A GROMMET ELEMENT DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN WILL BE RESILIENTLY DEFORMED FOR SECURE FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVE UNIT WHEREBY SAID GROMMET SHANK WILL BE WRAPPED ABOUT SAID DRIVE UNIT AND LOCKING LEVER. 